Not Forgotten
by Mynsii
Summary: AU/ AkuRoku/ In a world ravaged by war, Roxas' only hope of survival is Axel. But when memories are obliterated, and a darkness begins to seep through the hearts of the ones he loves, perhaps annihilation is the only answer. M for later chapters.
1. Prologue

**This has been a WIP for such a long time that I feared I'd never get around to publishing it. Whilst it's somewhat different to my usual work, I do hope that you enjoy. Comments and constructive criticism are always welcome. **

**oOOo**

This story starts with running.

They, whoever they a_re, _say the most cowardly thing in the world is to run away. To turn tail at the first sign of trouble and save yourself. But sometimes running away is that hardest thing you could ever do. Sometimes it's the only option. Sometimes only the brave can run away, because a lesser man wouldn't have the strength to do so.

_So, as we've already established; this story starts with running. _

Roxas was running_, so damn hard_, and every single muscle in his body _burned. _Axel was ahead of him, shirt soaked with sweat and sticking to him, his legs longer, so the strides he took kept him just ahead of the blonde. Fear prickled at Roxas' skin when the red head stumbled slightly, but instinct pushed him on, and he was glad when Axel caught himself and continued running. Roxas knew that he could not – no, _would _not stop to help him if Axel had fallen. He'd have broken his heart, cursed himself and hated himself for as long as he should live, but he'd have continued on regardless. Because although he loved Axel, people were depending on them; people who couldn't live without the medical supplies that they were trying desperately to take back home. So, no matter what, at least one of them needed to get out of this alive.

Exhaustion was beginning to set in, making Roxas' footfalls heavy and sluggish. He was struggling to breath, and when it all came down to it, his body wouldn't be able to push on for much further. Roxas heard the footsteps of his hunters grow louder, and he tried to pick up his pace, his entire being absolutely ablaze with exhaustion now, and his mind flashed with a montage of memories. He knew then, in that moment as the past and present merged behind his eyes, that it was over.

He was going to die.

And it broke his heart that Axel might have to witness it.

There was a resounding crack of a firearm of sorts, before Roxas felt something whip around an ankle and tighten, causing him to crash to the ground. Axel skidded to a stop, turned, eyes wild with fear and anger as the red-head tried to assess the scene around him. His entire being seemed to tremble as his eyes snapped to Roxas, and the blondes' attempts to scramble to his feet were marred by the tightening of the rope, and the footsteps getting ever closer. Panic swept over him when Axel took a step towards him, and his hands shot up in warning.

"No, Axel_! Run._ They need you."

The red head's entire stance seemed to drop, but a flicker of understanding seemed to pass over him. His striking green eyes, the colour of emeralds that contrasted so beautifully with the fan of fiery red lashes that trapped them in the world's most perfect cage, left the scrambling blonde for a moment to flick to their persecutor, before returning to Roxas.

"I have to…" Tears sprang to those incredible eyes, and Roxas thought that this scene before him was worse than any death he'd have to face; worse than whatever those who'd caught him in the noose that was cutting into his legs could ever inflict, and a small sob burst from his lips. "I'm sorry, Rox, I- I love you."

Roxas blinked, and in that split second Axel was gone, running, and the rope on his ankle was getting tighter, dragging him back now as he watched the retreating man. He knew how much it would hurt Axel to run away like that. He could imagine the man struggling to keep his pace, knowing that Roxas would now be captured and almost certainly killed. Roxas knew that Axel would probably cry the entire time, and would be fighting with himself not to turn back and allow himself to become captured with the blonde.

Roxas also knew that Axel would not turn around, because he simply _couldn't_ _._ For the same reason Roxas would not have stopped to help Axel, Axel would not stop to help Roxas. That was simply how things were now. It didn't lessen or cheapen the love they shared, it was simply a rule they must adher too. No doubt Axel was currently undergoing an internal breakdown, and was already thinking of the ways he would punish himself for allowing Roxas' looming demise. The thought swam in Roxas' mind, this idea of such a wonderful creature running away from him, heartbroken and sobbing. It _hurt._ Tears were streaming down his face, leaving clean rivets in the dirt, and when he felt something –or someone- hard pin him to the earth, despite the fact he had not even been aware just how close they'd got - he did not struggle. Nor did he flinch when he felt the hands prod and grab at his flesh; the stab of pain the needle filled with _something _ploughed into his neck, sending his world into an almost instant, dizzy swirl. The only thing he could think of was Axel, running away.

Leaving him.

"Yeah, I love you too."

Roxas was vaguely aware of grabbing hands, and low voices. Of the poking and prodding as various instruments were jabbed into his skin. Finally, his eyes fluttered shut, the last image of Axel acting as the final beacon of light in his mind, until the image blurred and flickered, and the darkness pulled him in.

..:::::..

Subject 13 initiated. Code name: Project X-Blade.

System restoration beginning.

"_I love you, Rox. Got it memorized?"_

"_When the war lets out, we'll all live together still; rebuilding the world one step at a time."_

_"You promised that no matter where I went, you'd always be there to bring me back. Got that memorized?"_

"_I love you, too, Axel."_

"_I love you …A- -"_

"_A?"_

System restoration complete.

Target memories rebooted to 0%

oOOo

The stories tell of the KeyBlade Masters; men and women with the power to wield weapons that commanded only to them, and which responded to the strength of their hearts. These warriors who swept through the world in order to beat back the darkness that was threatening to spill into a world that was once at peace. But there were those who craved this power, not to do good, no, they craved the power of the KeyBlade in order to install fear and gain control.

There was a mighty war, and legends tell of how the dark ones attempted to gain control with their own version of the blades, trying to destroy the light with their darkness. The King valiantly raised his army of KeyBlade Warriors from across all the worlds of the planet, all of whom went with willing, pure hearts to meet their fates at the hands of the dark ones. Many suffered, and friends were lost, torn apart by the light and the dark. However, the hearts of the Warriors of Light were too strong, and the darkness eventually crumbled, leaving only the scars of the battle that once had been, in the planets history. The King vowed then and there to never again make the KeyBlade Warriors public knowledge, knowing that as long as people knew the power of protection these 'weapons' possessed, there would always be people willing to corrupt them and turn them into something evil and dangerous.

The history of the KeyBlade War was then forgotten; lost through the generations and reduced to mere stories and hear-say. Those who fought valiantly in the War, and the Children of Light who succeeded them, were saddened by the planets ease at forgetting the ones who saved it. Eventually, as many years passed, any stories of the KeyBlade War had all but vanished. Even the gene that allowed those with pure hearts and intentions to weild the KeyBlade had burried itself away, lying dorment within those chose, oblious few. The few who still knew of the KeyBlade Warriors legacy breathed a sigh of relief, because they knew the planet could not take another war such as the terrible one that had raged over the power. The worlds were finally at peace, and that's all that mattered.

But then…

They'd called themselves SOLDIER, capitalised in order to signify their importance; to exhibit their power, even in the simplicity of words. To make the world know that they were in command. When the worlds had begun to separate; one planet divided, it was then that SOLDIER decided to take control. Not content with the peace that had settled between the worlds of the planet, SOLDIER wanted them all to live under one rule - their own. They were greedy, and selfish, but at first not even those in SOLDIER knew the full extent of their cruelty and gluttony. Initially it was subtle - for the 'greater good', but eventually, over time, the world began to see SOLDIER for what it really was.

Driven by the desire to conquor and anhilate all those who stood in their path, and led by General Sephiroth -the One Winged Angel, and SOLDIER First Class - they stormed through Wutai; destroying homes, lives, families; under the pretence of wanting to protect Wutai, and the entire planet. The reality of the matter was that SOLDIER were always searching for the edge to give them the power the craved, no matter what the source, and the materia that Wutai could provide was more than enough reason to destroy the place in their eyes.

It was like a bad dream that no-one wanted to believe, and the worlds tried hard to act as though Sephiroth and his army were little more than a nightmare they could wake up from. Then, suddenly, they weren't just in Wutai. They were creeping ever closer, seeking more domination. Destroying any and all cities that stood in their way.

And just like that, the worlds crumbled, and were turned to ruin.

Midgar, Radiant Garden, Archades, Besaid, Traverse Town, Zanarkand Twilight Town, and countless others, all destroyed; torn to shreds by the unyielding and unrelenting SOLDIER's who marched on without mercy. Children turned into orphans overnight, lovers to widows, friends into enemies.

And then, out of the ashes and ruins, Hollow Bastion was born. A refuge for those who'd lost everything and everyone. Led by those brave enough to stand up against SOLDIER, a secret city was built within the crags and canyons; hidden from SOLDIERS sight, and acting as a beacon of hope for those who had lost everything. Hard work was required to make Hollow Bastion resemble something vaguely like a city, but when it ready it became a home to those who needed it.

Although hunted without mercy, somehow Hollow Bastion remained undiscovered by SOLDIER's tyrincal hold, and its inhabitants could live in relitave peace. It was not perfect, and the worlds were still in ruins, but until the war broke up -if it ever broke up-, it would do.

oOOo

_Two hearts will be born in the rubble,  
Awoken by the one born in war.  
A sacrifice leaves another broken  
And the warriors three become four._

_Their light will drive out the darkness,  
Seeking power that dwells within.  
It's only with pain can they succeed,  
And they war they were losing they'll win._


	2. Chapter One

**Chapter One:  
oOOo**

Beneath the harsh, unrelenting sun two boys worked laboriously to preserve their home. Heat rolled off of crags and canyons, creating the optical allusion that perhaps the surfaces of the rocks actually housed a bountiful oasis, rippling with water. But, as the two males who were currently doing their best to remain both undetected and dedicated to their work knew, the only thing that the unforgiving turf housed was a hidden community, though that in itself was a thing of pure wonder. The luxury of secrecy was not readily available post war, and it seemed that SOLDIER probed the minds of civilians with sheer force. Knowledge is power, and any knowledge withheld from SOLDIER left them resulting to using every force necessary to draw it out. Shrouding an entire town from SOLDIER's view was theoretically impossible, but somehow Hollow Bastion had come to fruition. It was not without cost though, and a sanctuary free from SOLDIER's tyranny came at the price of harsh environments and long, laborious days that ensured the continuing safety of the town and its tenants.

Riku stretched, muscles taunt under bare skin that had been coloured a deep brown from sun exposure. He paused at his work to wipe at the sweat beading on his forehead, pushing damp tendrils of hair from his eyes as he did so. Beside him, Sora still continued to word, using a pick to chip away at some of the hard rock that surrounded - and protected - Hollow Bastion.

"What? Why'd ya stop?" Sora asked breathlessly, his typically somewhat gravity-defying hair lacking its usual shape.

"Because I've been working my ass off in this heat for hours, and I need a drink," Riku kicked at his own pick, glaring at it as though it personally offended him. "And you do too. Come on, before you get dehydrated."

With a sigh, but no argument, Sora set down the tool, picking up his long discarded shirt to wipe at his clammy forehead. "Whoever decided to build a so-called sanctuary in the middle of the desert is a sadist."

"Amen to that," with a smile, Riku added "I do hope Yuffie managed to pilfer some vodka on her last raid. I could really do with one of Tifa's cocktails right now," with a groan, Riku licked his lips. "I miss just being able to relax with a drink, ya know? Before the world fell to shit I could come how and recline with an array of beverages that leave me salivating at the mouth now. All we had now is the moonshine that Tifa makes up, and anything we can steal. All I want is one drink. One lousy little mixer, or cocktail or _something_. That's not too much to ask, is it?"

"I don't think you slackers deserve booze of any kind!" The pair turned to see Demyx regarding them amusedly, arms crossed over his pale chest. Somehow he'd managed to keep the white tank top he was wearing dry and clean, though Riku suspected this was down to the fact that Demyx had done little to know manual work.

"Hey, you try digging out a whole new section of a mountain," Riku grumbled. "'Just dig,' Leon says, 'we need to heighten our security, and setting up traps and cameras n the will help.' Well I don't see him - or you, for that matter - doing anything to help."

"I think you're forgetting I'm the one in charge of providing and maintaining the entire water supply for this town, thank you very much."

"Yeah, so basically," Sora said. "You're the glorified plumber."

"Hey!" Demyx whined. "I resent that."

"You would," Riku grumbled. "Honestly, Dem, you're the laziest, most petulant person I know."

"Oh, come on, man," Demyx said, less of a whinge to his voice and a slight grin forming on his lips. "I'm not that bad. Sure, I like to do things my own way, but I'm not _that _bad. Don't be mad."

The playful atmosphere immediately vanished when a figure in the distance suddenly caught the eye of all three males. On the horizon, staggering towards Hollow Bastion, a single person was apparently lunging forward; movements half-hazard and stumbling under the unforgiving sun.

"Shit, what's that?" Sora said warily, fingers groping for his abandoned pick, should there be a fight.

"Fuck, that's Axel!" Riku cried, eyes wide. Demyx and Sora exchanged brief looks, before Demyx sprang to life; dashing towards the lone red-head. Sora and Riku followed suit, all intentions of work destroyed.

They reached Axel just in time to see his quaking limbs give, and the medicine supplies he was carrying tumbled out of his hands and onto the dusty ground. Silently and instinctively, Riku picked up the equipment, face pale and eyes glued to Axel's shaking form. Axel collapsed to his knees; chest heaving and body slick with sweat. Dirt caked his face, save for two streaks under each emerald green eye, and as his quaking limbs threatened to give out for good, he choked up the bile that had once filled his now empty stomach.

"Sora, go and get Aerith, now!" Demyx cried, his hands fluttering over Axel's body; scared of hurting Axel, but searching for any signs of potential injury. "And Riku, alert Leon and the others. Make sure they ensure every single Claymore is at full working capacity."

Doing as told, the pair sprinted off towards main camp, Riku handing over the supplies to Sora, should Aerith need them. Finally deciding that Axel was safe to move, or at least touch, Demyx lifted him into his arms. Despite the fact that Axel had a good few inches on Demyx, and the muddy-blonde was not renowned for his strength, adrenaline made carrying the red-head easy, and as he hurried back towards the main camp, a thought suddenly tugged at the corner of his mind.

"Axel, What happened? Where's Roxas?"

A thin wail escaped from Axel's lips, "They got him. They fucking _got him_."

oOOo

The stars blinked and flickered silently above the crags and canyons that shielded Hollow Bastion from view, and an eerie silence had settled over the desolate landscape. In the heart of the hidden community, in the old house that was usually used for controlling the entire town, several Committee members had gathered, faces grim as they tried to absorb the news of Roxas' capture. Axel stood in the middle of the room, and despite the fact that he'd only just escaped the mothering clutches of Aerith and her medic bag, bristled with an angry energy, the likes of which could compete with an inferno for raw power.

_"_We have to go and get him!" Axel's fist slammed against the wood panelling of the wall as he spoke, but the brunette before him didn't even flinch.

"Axel," Squall 'Leon' Leonhart, head of the Restoration Committee, began smoothly, "Do you really think it's wise? You and I both know that Roxas is more than likely...gone. We all care about him, Axel. Believe me, we do. Roxas is our friend, and it hurts us all that he's gone. But going after him could get you killed."

"That's a risk I'm more than willing to take," Axel's tone suddenly dropped into something more pleading, "Leon, you know as well as I do that more often than not now they're keeping captives alive - at least for a little bit. We don't know why, but we know they do it."

"Axel," Leon dragged the word out, running a hand over his face. "That's only hearsay. Even then, you know the short amount of time captives are kept alive."

"It's more than just hearsay, Leon. Bathlier and the Sky Pirates were the ones that supplied us with the information, and they've never let us down before," Axel growled. "Roxas has been gone for less than twenty four hours, Leon. There are rumours of SOLIDER keeping captives alive for up to three days. It's worth a shot."

Leon met Axel's unwavering gaze carefully, the older man assessing the red-head intently. However, before the man could even speak, a slim blonde man stepped forward.

"I'll come with you to get him," the man murmured quietly. Fenrir's strong enough to carry the weight of all three of us, and I know how SOLDIER operates._" _

A look of almost disgust passed over Leon's face, and he turned to address the blonde. "Cloud, you can't, it's practically suicide. You're ex-SOLDIER. More than that; you're a SOLDIER who went AWOL to join their 'enemy'. You know that General Sephiroth has set a bounty on your head, right? If they find you, they will kill you."

"Well, if we don't go and get Roxas soon they'll kill _him_," Cloud said simply, already tugging on the thin leather gloves he always wore when he was out on a mission, or going on a raid. "Besides, I don't see _you_ volunteering to help Axel retrieve Roxas, and no-one else here knows SOLDIER vicinities like I do."

"Tifa is going to kill you, you know that?" Leon practically hissed, eyes narrowed in a vicious glare. "When she gets back she will be so pissed. She's only just found you again."

"It's not like I plan on taking Cloud away to some exotic island and making him my bride, Leon," Axel cut in, agitated. "We're coming back, but I will not stand around and let Roxas die out there when there's a chance I can save him. I came back here when he was caught because I needed to make sure the supplies got to Hollow Bastion, but now that they're here finding Roxas again is my number one priority. If you don't want Cloud to go, then that's fine by me, but I _will _be going - with or without assistance."

"Christ, Squall, just let 'em both go," Cid Highwind grizzled, rising to his feet and plucking his cigar stub from the corner of his mouth. "I know better 'en most that Cloud is capable of handling himself ina tricky sit-u-ation, an' everyone here can see that Axel ain't go'n rest 'till he has some sorta definitive proof either way of Roxas' fate. All you're doin' here s'wasting time."

"Do you even have any idea where they'd have put Roxas?" Leon asked, pinching the bridge of his nose between his finger and thumb.

"There's a research facility and base a couple 'dozen miles from here. No doubt they'd have taken Roxas there."

With a small, curt nod, Leon began to address Axel. "And you're sure you're well enough to do this? Aerith, what's your opinion?"

A young brunette woman rose from her place in the meeting, gnawing on her lip nervously. Her gaze kept alternating between Leon and Axel, her loyalty obviously torn. "Honestly, I think Axel should rest. He's dehydrated and was out unprotected in the sun for far too long."

"I could be on my deathbed and I'd still do it." Axel snapped. "A little bit of sunstroke, exhaustion and sleep dep. isn't going to faze me."

"For Christ Sake Squall, shut yer mouth an' let 'em go!" Cid's agitation was evident, and with a brusque and vague wave of his hands, Leon dismissed Cloud and Axel.

"Just make sure you come back. I cannot afford to lose _three _of the best raiders. We just wouldn't survive. I guess I'll have to deal with the shit I'll undoubtedly get from Merlin, Ansem, and Yen Sid for letting you go, but do it. Just be careful."

Axel said nothing as he walked out of the room, and made no move to even indicate a silent goodbye to anyone. He felt incredibly on edge, and Leon's reluctance to let him and Cloud leave had only served to increase his anger. Coupled with the fact that Leon seemed more intent on saving himself from an ear ache off of the elders of the group, as opposed to potentially saving Roxas' life, Axel was a volcano on the point of eruption. He felt as though his insides were a black hole, and he was being dragged apart and pulled in on himself. Every moment he stayed was another moment that Roxas was alone, and a moment closer to a possibly grizzly fate. Leon had delayed him far too long, and though he was grateful that he had Cloud - and Fenrir - to assist him, things were not moving as he'd planned. The entire time he'd been returning to Hollow Bastion with the medical supplies, he'd been working on the intentions of simply dropping off the goods and heading straight back for Roxas.

He had not considered the fact that a combination of little food, no rest, and a baking hot sun would result in him collapsing, and that in itself had already wasted too much time. Coupled with the fact that Leon had delayed his rescue mission even further, Axel was prepared to break bones and shed blood should he discover anything had happened to Roxas.

"Ready to go?" Cloud asked quietly.

With a nod, Axel's hands reached out and closed around two chakrams, dangerously barbed with flame red spikes. "Let's go."

oOOo

Alone in their living quarters Riku, Sora, and Kairi absorbed the news of the days event. Riku was sat on the edge of his narrow bed, whist Kairi dozen on the bed beside them, eyelids red and puffy from crying. The day had definitely taken an unexpected twist, and it was difficult to believe that just two days before they'd so optimistically waved Axel and Roxas off on their mission. It suddenly brought on a terrible surge of nostalgia, and all the fear that had coursed through Sora's blood when the war had first broke out had returned, it felt as though he was reliving that terrible nightmare all over again.

"I can't believe this is happening," Sora said quietly, rubbing his exhausted eyes with the heals of his palms. With a soft sigh he collapsed onto his bed, turning to face Riku.

"I know," Riku replied, holding his head in his hands. "How did this happen? This is the first time SOLDIER's got a hold of one of us."

Sora's voice dropped to a low whisper. "Do you think this is just the start of something? What if they keep coming, and more and more of us get taken?"

"Look at me, Sora," Riku tilted the brunettes chin up with his hands, forcing eye contact. "I swear to God, I will never let anything happen to you, okay? Kairi too. I will protect you both no matter what cost. If the safety of Hollow Bastion is compromised then we'll leave - just the three of us, if needs be,"

"Do you think they'll find him?"

"I really don't know, but I think no matter what everything's going to be different from now on. This was supposed to be our safe-haven, and whilst we all know raids are risky, SOLDIER's never been able to tail anyone to the point of capture before."

"Riku, do you think we'll ever get back home to the islands?"

"I don't doubt it," Riku replied simply. When Kairi stirred in her sleep, the silver-haired boy leaned over to gently sift his fingers through her fine red hair. "One day we'll be back in Destiny Islands, and me, you and Kairi will live in our little house. We'll be safe, and more importantly, the three of us will be together. That's all that matters to me. I don't care if I have to give my dying breath; I just want you and Kairi protected and happy."

"I'm glad, in a way, that at the end of days at least the three of us are still together," looking up at Riku with doe eyes, Sora added "sleep in with me tonight, please?"

The request stemmed back to their childhood, even back before they'd met Kairi. Long ago, when Sora dreamt of white-walled trances, and battles of Light; and young Riku's slumber had been plagued by sleep, they'd curled up side by side to ward off the nightmares. Even now, years later, they still relied on each other to fend off the troubles that gripped them.

With a nod, Riku climbed onto the bed beside Sora, allowing the brunette to curl in as close as he wished. When Sora had apparently gotten comfortable, Riku outstretched his hand, and careful not to wake her, lightly placed it on Kairi's.

Roxas' disappearance had ignited a whole new bout of anxiety, but at least for now the two people Riku loved most of all were safe in his grasp.

oOOo

Axel's arms clutched loosely at Cloud's waist as they stormed through the landscape on Fenrir. Vaguely, as a thought that merely tugged at the fringe of Axel's thoughts, the red-head was aware that he and Cloud had had very little interaction before, and honestly knew very little about each other. Cloud was an enigma, and though he'd been at Hollow Bastion. Long before Axel had established himself -and Roxas- as a member, the blonde had spoken very little about his private life, other than the fact he was a SOLDIER who'd gone AWOL to join his friends. Tifa, a woman who played a role in Cloud's life that Axel had never been able to determine, had shown up just twelve months previously, stating how desperately she'd been searching for him. But that was as far as Axel's knowledge of Cloud extended, which considering they lived in a tiny community, was pretty shitty. Perhaps he'd make the effort to amend this later, considering his valiant attempts to help retrieve Roxas, but all Axel could think about was the possible scenario he might find. The image of discovering Roxas dead burned in his mind, and no matter how he tried to convince himself of Roxas' survival, all he could imagine was a beautiful, blonde corpse. Empty blue eyes staring endlessly and eternally.

"You really love Roxas, huh?" Cloud asked over the roar of the motorcycles engine,

"He's my world," Axel's stomach clenched painfully, and it felt as though his insides had all decomposed. The fear that knotted within him had Axel vaguely worried that he was about to spill the rotted contents of his gut right there and then. It was honestly difficult to articulate what Roxas meant to Axel, because they'd been together for so long that their lives had become irrevocably interwoven. Even before they'd become a couple - and long before the world as they'd known it had collapsed in on itself - Axel's universe had continued to expand on simply to accommodate Roxas. The blonde was embedded in the very fibre of Axel's being, and a life without him was not one worth living. "You ever meet someone you'd tear the world apart for?"

"Tifa and the kids," Cloud paused. "Two of them. Not ours, biologically, but they lived with us. Denzel...Denzel calls Tifa 'Mom' now. A couple of times I've heard him call me 'Dad', but he gets embarrassed and tends to just call me Cloud. Marlene just calls us by our names, though."

"Oh, I didn't know you had kids." Axel still felt as though he was collapsing from the inside out, but Cloud was a distraction, taking his mind, if only for brief moments, off of the thought of Roxas' demise.

"I...don't like to talk about them much. They're safe now; staying with a friend. I should be there for them. But I can't protect them like they deserve; Hollow Bastion is no place for kids that young. But... If I found out that they were hurt or missing, come hell or high water I'd find them."

Ahead of them a large white building was beginning to come into view, and surrounded by SOLDIER's and security, it already looked as though breaking into the facility would be problematic. Veering to the right, Cloud left Fenrir obscured by view; close enough to the facility that getting in and out as quickly as possible would be feasible, but far enough away that it shouldn't be spotted.

Training that had long since embedded itself into Cloud's brain rose to the surface, and it was not hard to see that the older man had a strict, military background. His movements were stealthy; eyes ever vigilant. In comparison Axel felt lumbering and exposed, and had he not been more concerned for Roxas, he'd be worried about his own safety. Cloud's sharp eyes focused in on something, and with a hand he motioned for Axel to stop and crouch down.

"The place is crawling with Neoshadows," Cloud growled, hand tightening on the handle of his sword. "Are you ready to fight a hoard of them if you have to?"

Neoshadows were a creation of SOLDIER's; terrible, black, heartless beasts who existed solely to destroy. They'd been manufactured by an elite sect of SOLDIER called Organization XIII, and as they swept across the worlds like a plague, it was only Organization XIII who could ultimately stop them. Like shadows they crawled across the lands, doing SOLDIER's bidding, and ultimately obliterating those who stood in their way. It took a real skill to destroy just one, but they almost always travelled in packs.

"I'll take on Sephiroth himself if it meant getting Roxas the hell out of there."

Nodding, Cloud gripped the handle of his Buster Sword. "Okay then, good luck."

_oOOo_

_Hayner lounged back on one of the chairs in the Usual Spot, absentmindedly twirling the handle of a Struggle bat in his hands. Roxas grinned when Olette walked in, promptly swiped the bat from Hayner's grasp, and thrust a piece of paper in the boys face._

_"Hayner!" Olette snapped. "This says that you got an F on your paper. It's the last assignment before summer and you're flunking?"_

_"It's fine, 'Lette," Hayner protested, making a grab at his Struggle bat in an attempt to retrieve it. "Roxas, Pence, what did you get?"_

_Pence, who until now had been silently fixing his camera, scratched the back of his head. "I just about scraped an A."_

_"I got a B, man," Roxas said, grin smug when Olette used this fresh batch of information as ammunition for her death glare._

_"See, Hayner!'" The brunette snapped. "Roxas and Hayner passed, I passed, but you're just too lazy to do the work. If you don't improve this grade, you'll have to do summer classes. Summer classes means we don't get to hang out. Summer classes mean you don't get to take part in the Struggle tournament."_

_Seemingly horrified by the prospect, Hayner's gaze darted to each of his three friends. "Guys, what shall I do? I only have a week to redo the project!"_

_"Well, you know," Pence began slowly, "I've heard a rumour about the Wonders of Twilight Town. You could always do your paper on that?"_

_"And of course, we'd help you," Roxas added._

_A look of pure relief that was almost comical washed over Hayner's face, and Roxas couldn't help but chuckle._

_This was his life. Olette nagging at one of 'her boys' (though, typically it was Hayner) about their failure to do something important. Pence messing with his camera. Hayner's lazy school attitude, but admirable dedication to Struggle. It was a simple, ordinary life, but Roxas adored it. Despite the rumours of wars raging in distant lands, his world in Twilight Town remained untouched and perfect, and at sixteen years old, that's all that mattered. In that moment, Roxas was sure that come hell or high water, nothing could ever change his ideal little life. _

Memories restored at 5%

..::::::..

Roxas was lying on what _appeared_ to be a hospital bed when he awoke, the room he was apparently trapped in bright white from floor to ceiling. His head span violently, and he felt the need to throw up. He had no honest recollection of how he even ended up in the strange room; in fact, his memories swam so loosely in his mind that trying to recall recent events in any way, shape, or form, left him nauseated. Vaguely he remembered talking with his friends about a summer project, but other than that he was merely clutching at straws. He had no idea when that event had even taken place, and although it could have been mere minutes ago, Roxas was also aware of the fact that it could have been months before. It was as though someone had scattered his memories, and trying to re-gather them left them un-shuffled and out of order. The harsh whiteness of the room did nothing to help, and only served to increase the severity of his migraine.

Groggily, Roxas attempted to push himself to his feet but immediately recoiled, a low howl of pain bursting forth from his lips. It felt as though his bones were made from glass, and any movement at all caused his limbs to shatter and splinter. His veins throbbed and pulsated, and sweat was beading on his forehead.

"Hello there, Thirteen," Roxas looked up to find a man in a white lab coat with long, platinum blonde hair grinning at him. "You look rather pale, but luckily for you I've come to give you your shot."

"Shot? W-what's happened? Have I been in an accident or something?"

The man, who Roxas assumed was a medic of some kind, didn't respond. Filling a syringe with a thick, viscous liquid, he turned to face Roxas' with a terrifyingly amused smile, and before Roxas could even reply the man had his arm tightly, and the needle had punctured the skin.

"There, not so bad, was it? I'll be back later, Thirteen. Just rest. We need you at full capacity."

"What is going on?" Roxas begged. "Please, tell me!"

"Not to worry, Thirteen. All will become apparent soon enough."

Fighting back the dizziness that was beginning to grope at the edges of Roxas' mind, he howled. "Why do you keep calling me that? Please, have I been in an accident or something? Where are my friends?"

With a dry chuckle the doctor simply walked away, leaving Roxas alone to contemplate his isolation and confused state. Moments began to pass in hazy fragments as whatever was currently whirling through Roxas' bloodstream took effect. Seconds could have been hours - even days, just as easily as an hour could have slipped by in the blink of an eye. Nothing made any sort of real sense, and in the confines of his mind Roxas could feel nothing but the burning of his palms and the wild palpitating of his heart. Somehow he knew the two events were connected, instinct or _something_ instructing him so. . The words "Subject Thirteen" burned through his mind like a hot iron, and he was sure that had some sort of connection to the whole thing too. All in all, nothing seemed to be working, mind or body, and all of the symptoms seemed to collate, even if there was no tangible reason as to why. He wondered if he was dying, and as the world span and shrank around him, he decided he didn't care if he was,

"In here, Cloud!"

A voice cut through the fog of Roxas' mind, and when Roxas peeled back his eyelids he was face to face with a lean red-head, clothes torn and dirtied slightly, with scratches littering his skin. Two bladed chakrams were in the stranger's right hand, and the left hand came out to wrap around Roxas' shoulder in something that resembled a clumsy hug.

"What are you doing to me? Get off!" Roxas scrambled back, eyes wide with fright. The red head in front of him paled considerably, and his green eyes widened with something resembling a mixture of confusion and raw pain.

"Roxas," The red head said quietly, with an air of uncertainty and almost fear, "it's me - Axel."

"Who?" Roxas was still petrified, but something about the stranger was captivating him. "Who are you?"

Looking as though he was about to be sick, the red head - Axel - blanched. "You... you genuinely don't remember me, do you?"

"Remember what?" Roxas was near hysterical, and his eyes darted to the door when another man, this time a little older than the red-head and a blonde, pushed his way through. Again, this man was equally as stained as his companion, with what resembled claw marks cutting along a strong bicep. The sight of both of them in such a state had Roxas' already aching heart speeding up and trepidation swan through his drugged bloodstream like a toxin. "Who are_ you_? Where are my friends? Where are Hayner, Pence and Olette?"

Axel and the man exchanged glances, before the blonde strode over and lifted the struggling Roxas onto his shoulder with ease. "We have to go, Roxas," he said quietly. "It's not safe here."

Almost as though on cue, an alarm began to blare, and Axel reached out to cup the side of Roxas' face. The teen froze, eyes impossibly wide with confusion and fright, but nonetheless he stopped struggling in the blondes arms, and did not recoil from Axel's touch.

"I don't know what they've done to you, Rox," the red head said sadly, "but please, trust us. We would never hurt you._ I_ would never hurt you."

"Axel, we gotta go," the blonde man said, already edging towards the door. With a curt nod, Axel made suit to follow, pausing only to snatch Roxas' medical notes and stuff them into the back of his jeans.

Unable to protest due to the strong concoction that had been injected into his bloodstream, Roxas felt like a trapped animal as he was hauled through the building. It looked less and less like a hospital, outside of the confines of his room, and red lights flashed viciously above them. In the distance he could hear pounding feet, and the shrieks of an assortment of people, and he wondered whether this was a medicine based delusion, or whether it was actually real. Occasionally, as they ran (or, rather, as the blonde man and Axel ran, and a stupefied Roxas merely clutched desperately to consciousness) Axel would throw pleading looks Roxas' way, and though Roxas was sure he'd never seen this man before in his life, there was a niggling sense of familiarity that refused to leave his doped-up mind.

The doctor who'd been attending to Roxas before, and who had so cruelly jabbed the syringe of _something_ into his skin, stumbled into their path, and when he spotted Roxas in the blonde mans arms, anger swept over his face.

"Put my test subject down - immediately!"

"_Your_ test subject?" Axel growled. "So, _you_ did this to Roxas?"

Ignoring Axel, the doctors eyes locked in on the blonde who was carrying Roxas, and something that was a combination of disbelief and cold amusement flashed across his face.

"Cloud Strife, the General's been looking for you."

"He'll just have to keep looking, Vexen," The man carrying Roxas spat, reaching back to grope for his sword, only to stop when he realised he could not safely hold Roxas and wield his weapon.

"I doubt it," The scientist - Vexen - hissed. He pulled out a dagger from beneath his coat, "Subject Thirteen is mine, and I _will _kill you both without hesitation if it means I get to keep him."

A guttural growl suddenly ripped from Axel's throat, and he instantly became primal. Something silver flashed in the red-heads hands, twirling with an unimaginable speed. Before the doctor could react Axel had lunged forward and lashed out, and it was only then that Roxas could see what exactly had happened. The spikes of the chakram in Axel's hands were wet and glossy with blood, and Vexen clutched desperately at a gaping wound on his throat, a desperate gurgling sound emitting from his foaming mouth.

"You hesitated," Axel spat, pushing the dying man aside when he fell to his knees.

Roxas watched, wide eyed in horror, as Vexen drew one last, shuddering breath. Cloud and Axel seemed to march on regardless of what had just occurred, and a wave of nausea swept over Roxas. He had no idea what was going on, but a man had just been killed and his murderer was intent on taking Roxas with him.

It was a combination of fear, fatigue, and the drugs that had been forcibly injected into his system, that sent Roxas tumbling over the edge, and he passed out; allowing the darkness to finally engulf him.


	3. Chapter Two

**Happy (early) AkuRoku day 2012 !**

**Sorry for the delay. As some of you might know I've been in and out of hospital for the last few months, and so finding time to write and edit can prove troublesome. Comments, reviews and constructive criticism are always welcome. Also, should you wish, feel free to check out my other on-going fic, Pretending.**

**Chapter Two:**

**oOOo**

Sensations, that's all the they were.

He was vaguely aware of the fact that his chest and palms still felt as though they were burning, but the true extent of the pain was lost in the darkness. Somewhere along the line he'd been travelling at some speed, pressed between two bodies; one searing hot and the other cold and leather like. Time fell like rain droplets, and at another point he'd stopped and been lifted again, but he couldn't make sense of when this had occurred. He was in a storm, and making sense of which drop fell first was impossible.

Roxas came around to the sound of people talking around him. Eyelids flickering open slightly when the fog in his mind had begun to clear, parted somewhat by the voices of those strangers. That's all they were, honestly, strangers floating in a voice. The soft, sultry tenor's and the squawking nasally tones that floated and hummed through the air like wasps and bees lacked all sense of substantial meaning to Roxas. They were not the smooth, adolescent voices of the ones he loved most of all.

"He says he doesn't remember me."

"He doesn't remember?"

"Apparently not. He didn't recall Axel, and seemed to have no recollection of me, either."

There were three voices, two somewhat familiar, but another smooth one low and quiet, the world around him was still out of focus, and when Roxas twitched his head slightly to try and clear his thoughts, a fourth voice - this time female - joined the chorus.

"Guys, I think Roxas is awake."

Slim fingers were on his forehead, and whoever was touching him smelt like spices and flowers. It was a sweet mixture, and along with the soothing voice and gentle touch, it made Roxas, in his confused state of mind, feel safe.

"Mom?"

"No, not quiet, sweetie" the woman chuckled. Roxas' eyes were beginning to adjust, and in the distance a blur snorted at the remark. The woman hovering over Roxas was slim and tall, with big beautiful eyes and long brown hair pulled back from her pretty face. "Roxas, it's me, Aerith. Do you know what's happened?"

Memories of the hospital and the two men who had captured him -murdering another in the process- dispelled the last of Roxas' unconsciousness and he sat up with a jolt. "Where am I?"

Behind her Roxas spotted the two forms of the men who had taken him from the hospital. Cloud and Axel looked somewhat less frightening, for although they were still bloodied and caked in dirt, they no longer wielded weapons that frightened Roxas beyond comprehension. Though, judging by the dog-tags that swung around Cloud's neck, and the unnaturally bright, almost glowing blue eyes, the blonde man was still a formidable threat. Axel looked pretty awful, and now that they were out of the hospital it was much easier to properly regard him. The red-head looked unhealthily pale, which was accentuated by the large dark circles under each eye. It looked as though he hadn't slept in a week, and he looked painfully gaunt. Roxas would have felt pity, but having seen what the man was capable of Roxas merely felt disgust.

When Axel hissed and doubled over, Aerith's attention immediately drifted from Roxas to the red-head. She tugged the hem of what would have once been a fitted grey tee, but was now little more than bloodied and dirt caked rags, upwards, revealing taunt pale skin that had been viciously slashed by what looks like claws. When the woman gasped in shock, Axel turned his head away from her.

"Axel, what happened?"

"We ran into some Neoshadow's," Cloud supplied.

"Yeah, before we ran and got Sleeping Beauty there. One of those shadowy bastards got me, but it's no big deal."

"No big deal!" Aerith cried. "Look at the state of you! I thought the scratches on your face and arms were bad, but this one's awful."

She went about fussing, cleaning and stitching the wounds quickly before, with a quick, tender pat to Axel's cheek, returning to Roxas' aid."Roxas, do you remember me?"

The blonde tried to stand up, but was assaulted with a sense of dizzying sickness that felt similar to a hangover, only without the pleasure of drinking before-hand. When the world stopped spinning, Roxas swallowed. "No, I don't. Please, someone tell me what's going on."

"This is going to be a lot to take in, so I'll go slow, okay?" For the first time Roxas noticed a muscular brunette male, who up until now had been watching the scene quietly. Despite the large scar that cut across his face, he had a friendly demeanour. Something about the brunette man seemed oddly familiar, but before Roxas could even question it, his head seemed to pulsate as he was consumed by the flash of a memory. Or, at least, something faintly resembling a memory.

_"Name's Squall Leonhart, but you can call me Leon, kid."_

"L-Leon?" Roxas stuttered, looking up at the man desperately.

Axel looked as though he was about the either cry, vomit, or both, and he paced the room, pale faced. "You remember _Leon_, but not _me_? What the fuck is going on here, Roxas?"

"Now is not the time, Axel," Leon barked. Turning to address Roxas again, Leon continued. "I don't know how much you remember, so I'll just tell you the essentials. You and Axel ran into some SOLDIER's, and you were taken. You've been unconscious for a couple of hours, and you were missing for nearly a day. Axel came and informed of us of what happened as soon as he could, before going back for you."

"SOLDIER? Who? I don't understand."

"This is bigger than I thought. We need to take him to Ansem," Leon said quietly. "He'll know what to do."

"You think so?" Axel snapped.

"Axel, I said not now," Leon reprimanded. "And Cloud, you stay here. Tifa is looking for you, and she's not entirely pleased with the situation at hand. Just as I told you."

Cloud grumbled something inaudible in response, and Roxas narrowed his eyes at the exchange. There was some sort of obvious tension and animosity between the three men, and it felt as though Cloud and Axel were on one side, and Leon another. In all honesty, Roxas had no clue what was going on, and other that their names (and he himself was perplexed as to how he knew Leon's name) he had little information to go on in regards to trying to guess the root of their animosity. Though, Roxas suspected that he had something to do with it.

oOOo

With little explanation other than the fact that he was being taken to a man named Ansem, apparently one of the three "elders' of the group, Roxas was carted, very carefully, from one room to another. Aerith helped him mostly, with Axel and Leon tailing close behind, muttering amongst themselves. In a way Roxas was glad that Aerith was his primary carer - at least for the most part - because out of all the people he'd encountered so far, she seemed the safest. And, with the images of the doctor - Vexen's - murder still fresh in his mind, safety was something Roxas desperately craved. Ansem himself was not a person that Roxas would associate with stability, and with his haunting golden eyes and loud, booming voice, he made Roxas feel even smaller and weaker than he already was.

Though, some small part of Roxas' mind registered, weak may be the wrong word. Other than Struggle and skateboarding, which everyone and their mother did for fun in Twilight Town, Roxas was not much of a fitness freak, and partook in very little other exercise. However, his muscle tone seemed more defined than he remembered, and even despite the fact that he was still nauseous and ached all over, Roxas was aware that the podgy, doughy flesh he was used to had somehow miraculously became muscle. He was by no means bulky, and he'd never be a weightlifter, but it was almost as though he was a different person - one that evidently one that worked out more than Roxas did.

"Check for visible symptoms of anything that may have caused this," Ansem commanded when Axel and Leon had filled him in on Roxas' apparent disappearance and return.

Taking a small torch, Aerith flashed the light in each of Roxas' eyes, searching desperately for some sort of reaction that may provide an explanation to Roxas' sudden, selective, memory loss.

"Aerith?" Ansem asked quietly, his eerie golden eyes narrowed.

The young women looked up, her expression grim. "Nothing. No sign of concussion."

"I see," the man said, crossing his arms. "Then this was unlikely to be caused by injury. Therefore, there are only two plausible explanations to Roxas apparent amnesia are extreme emotional trauma, or SOLDIER have purposefully interfered with his memories."

Axel stretched his hand out, intending to cup the side of the blondes face gently, but Roxas recoiled with horror. The memory of how easily the red-head had touched him in the hospital flashed through his mind, and the familiarity of Axel's touch made him want to vomit.

"Don't_ you _touch me," The words came out in a thin hiss, and Axel's face fell. His hand hovered for a moment, fingers outstretched towards Roxas' face, before he dropped it, averting his gaze.

Golden eyes watched the exchange carefully, and Ansem rubbed his chin in thought. "Roxas, do you honestly not remember Axel?"

"No!" Roxas gripped his hair in frustration, and though it was impossible to miss the raw misery that was sweeping over Axel's face, Roxas felt nothing. Vaguely he wondered if he should feel a pang of guilt for evidently hurting this_ person's f_eelings, but Axel was merely a stranger, and with everything that was going on Roxas couldn't bring himself to care. After all, he'd watched Axel slash open someone's throat, and the red-head had shown little mercy then.

"Tell me then, Roxas, how old do you believe you are?"

Slightly taken aback by the question, Roxas blinked. "Seventeen."

Axel crossed his arms, frown deepening. "You think you're seventeen?"

"I_ know I_'m seventeen," Roxas bit out.

"Except you're not," Axel replied. "You're nearly twenty."

"I..I can't be,"

"Yet you are," Ansem cut in. "You arrived here a little over two years ago, aged seventeen at the time. It seems that you've forgotten the events of the war and evacuation completely."

"Not completely," Axel growled, a note of jealousy evident in his voice. "He remembered_ Leon._"

"I remembered his _name_," Roxas spat back poisonously.

"Gee, have a gold fucking star."

"Eat shit, asshole."

"Stop this nonsense," Ansem demanded. "Turning on each other is not the solution to this problem."

"The problem being my boyfriend doesn't know who the hell I am?"

"_Boyfriend_?" Roxas exclaimed. "You're fucking delusional, mister. I'm not gay, and even if I was I wouldn't end up with some bloodthirsty monster like you.

Axel recoiled as if he'd been smacked, before kicking angrily at a near-by garbage can. "What the fuck is your problem? How have I just evaporated from your fucking memory when our lives are so interlinked? This doesn't make any sense!"

At Axel's anger Roxas swore he felt the pain that made his palms twitch and heart palpitate increase, and he fought hard not the let this disorder visible. He was already having a tough enough time of things, without someone prodding and poking him just because some irate, possibly psychopathic, red-head had decided to agitate him into a stress induced sickness.

Ansem, who had seemingly ignored the flare in Axel's temper, crouched in front of Roxas, expression grim. "It is with deep regret that I have to re-inform you of past events, Roxas. Several years ago an organization named SOLDIER rose up, destroying the separate worlds of this planet one by one in order to gain autonomy above all others. A horrific war has since begun to rage; people like us, who actively oppose SOLDIER's bloodthirsty ways, have risen against them. Though many have suffered and perished, we have since built a sanctuary here in the rubble for those who wish to utilize it. We call this sanctuary Hollow Bastion. It is the last beacon of hope for many, and we symbolise a life that can be rebuilt from the wreckage of chaos. Yourself and Axel both came here a few years ago, when SOLDIER destroyed Twilight Town. An associate of Leon's informed Axel that Leon had helped set up a refuge here, and so you both came -together - to start a new life. Albeit a life of hardships and struggle, but no less a life that is better led than one under SOLDIER's reign."

"But I don't understand...how could I forget something like that?" Roxas gasped. It couldn't possibly be real, and Roxas prayed that this was some horrible, elaborate nightmare. How could he forget a war? And more than that, if the battles existence had somehow slipped from his memory, where were his friends? Had they escaped to Hollow Bastion with him?

"Therein lies the problem," Ansem began. "For a while now SOLDIER have been capturing those who defy them, probing them in an attempt to satiate their ever present hunger for power and knowledge. We, or at least I, suspect that SOLDIER have interfered with your memories whilst you were in their clutches. Though why they've done this and for what reason is unknown."

"He grabbed my medical notes on the way out," Roxas said, pointing an accusing finger at Roxas. The red head popped his jaw, gaze fixed firmly on his feet, though Roxas heard the jagged breath that Axel drew.

"As I am aware, Roxas," Ansem said. "Though they provided very little information, other than what sedatives they had given you in order to keep you asleep, or at least tranquil enough that you would not cause a scene."

"Nothing else, you're sure?" Axel asked the question, his nasal voice pinched somewhat.

"Of that I am sure." Ansem replied. There was something in his voice, however, that didn't ring entirely true. As if he were withholding information, or something of the like. Roxas didn't question it though, because he was too overwhelmed with everything else that was going on. The ceaseless burning afflicting his palms and heart. The staggering influx of information being drip fed to him. Stranger after stranger claiming they knew him. He simply didn't have the energy to pick up on, or question, Ansem's potential secrecy.

"So what am I supposed to do now?" Roxas hissed. "I don't know if any of this is true, or whether I can trust you. And if this is...real there must be something wrong with me."

"Sometimes it is the trauma alone that causes the mind to shut down for its own protection. Whilst we cannot rule out the possibility that SOLDIER have intentionally picked apart your memories, it is also likely that nature is simply taking its course. But you can trust us, Roxas, your safety is our highest priority. Why do you think Axel and Cloud came to your aid so quickly?"

And because of that -because of _him_- at least one man had died.

"Leon," Ansem called, "please escort Roxas around, and make arrangements for his boarding. Aerith, please remain here. I wish to re-examine Roxas' medical notes."

"Yes, Ansem." Two voices said in unison.

Leon, otherwise silent until now, rose to his feet, offering Roxas a simple quirk of the lips for comfort, and motioned for Roxas to follow him. When the blonde did as expected, Leon led him out of the room, bowing courteously to Ansem and Aerith as he passed them. It was with a tinge of regret that Roxas left the comfort of Aerith's side, but just as she exuded a maternal quality, there was something paternal and patriarchal about Leon that made Roxas feel somewhat less anxious. However, the red-head that was following him around like a shadow made Roxas feel sick, and he just wanted to break free of Axel's company.

Roxas, though still woozy and a little unsteady on his feet, followed Leon out of the building, gasping when he met the hot, muggy air of the outside world. It looked as though they were _inside_ a mountain or something, only the cracks high above them revealing slithers of sunlight. His eyes drunk in the town that had apparently been built in rubble and ruin, and it was then that Roxas was sure he was dreaming. Surely none of this could actually be real? Things like this didn't just exist, and the idea that this – and entire town- had been built in secrecy as war raged on around it was downright impossible.

"We're going to Merlin's house, okay?" Leon said gently. It was as though the brunette was talking to a young child, and briefly anger flared within Roxas. He was not dumb, nor was he some sort of idiotic child. He'd simply, apparently, been forced to live through some sort of traumatic event which had culminated in memory loss.

"Uh, okay."

Inclining his head at a stony building, Leon let out a small sigh. "This way."

As the door opened, Roxas was faced with an old, homey looking room; books stacked almost to the ceiling and littering the floor half-hazardly , chalk boards with endless symbols and the like scattered here and there. It was an organized chaos, but an educated one at that.

"Christ, they really got'cha back, kid! I gottah give Axe' more credit."

The words were bellowed by a somewhat intimidating looking man; older than Leon but far younger than Ansem, with a cigar stub dangling from the corner of his lips, and what appeared to be an attractive combination of oil and grease smoothed over his arms and clothes.

Roxas regarded the man blankly, not sure whether or not to be scared of him.

"What's the matter, Rox? Cat got'cha tongue?"

"Cid, I, uh... Roxas seems to be suffering some memory loss, so you'll have to be patient with him." Leon supplied. "Do you know where Merlin is?"

"Right here my boy!" A white haired man with an equally snowy beard emerged from behind a pillar of books, clapping his hands together in apparent excitement. "Memory loss, eh? It's been a while since I've seen a case of that!"

"Yeah, me too. Cloud's out informing as many as he can about the situation, that is if Tifa's going to let him out of her sight."

Turning his attention to Roxas, Merlin smiled, his bony fingers combing through his beard as he did so. "So, how are you, Roxas? I imagine all of this is very confusing for you."

Ignoring Axel's scathing muttering of 'obviously', Roxas nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Well, rest assured my boy we will do everything we can to help you and look after you. Now, how much do you know about life here at Hollow Bastion?"

"Not a lot yet, sir."

"Leon, have you told him nothing?"

"It's been a bit overwhelming, Merlin," Leon sighed, exasperated. "I've been doing my best."

"All right, Leon, I understand." Once again addressing Roxas, Merlin continued. "Hollow Bastion, of course, is a community built to withstand the war and provide a safe haven for those who need it. The Cornerstone of Light keeps us protected for the most part, but when any NeoShadows or SOLDIER's slip through, more often than not the Claymores take care of them."

"Cornerstone of Light?" Roxas asked, perplexed. "Claymores?"

"The Cornerstone of Light would be my creation, dear boy," Merlin declared proudly. "It's an orb of energy designed to help obscure Hollow Bastion from the watchful eyes of SOLDIER, but it also serves as a protection mechanism."

"And them Claymores are my invention," Cid said, grinning. "They make sure that any of those shady bastards that make it past the Cornerstone ain't goin' t' survive into the heart of Hollow Bastion."

"Uhuh," it was all Roxas could offer as input, because it honestly sounded like they were speaking a foreign language. He had no clue what a Neoshadow or Claymore was, and frankyl he wasn't sure he wanted to find out. The Cornerstone of Light sounded like something plucked from the pages of a children's fantasy novel, and this whole world seemed far too bizarre for words. The idea of wars, and creatures and secret communities, were enough to make Roxas pull his hair out, and he wanted nothing more to collapse to his knees, sobbing.

"Yer plenty safe here, don't you worry," Cid said, "no SOLDIER's gonna be getting 'is hands on you again."

Roxas wished he could believe that he was safe, but the idea that he was simply refused to sit well in his mind. The people who professed to care for him had killed the very person they claimed was the enemy, without so much as batting an eyelid. If that wasn't enough Roxas couldn't shake the ceaseless burning, and was constantly being pushed from person to person like some sort of unwanted mutt. To Roxas, Hollow Bastion did not exude the air of safety it's inhabitants claimed it to be, and was not the rural idyll of its original intentions. It was simply a empty, dark place built into hollow rock. Bleak and hopeless.

Interrupting his dark thoughts, the door suddenly swung open and a young boy, perhaps his age, burst in. He was a chocolate haired blur, dodging past Axel and Leon to head straight towards Roxas himself.

"Roxas, you're alive!" The brunette cried, throwing his arms around Roxas' neck. "Cloud said Leon would be looking for me, but I never actually thought they'd get you back so soon!"

"Who are you?"

The boy pulled back, impossibly large, blue eyes blinking rapidly in apparent disbelief. The kid resembled a wounded animal; a faithful, adoring hound who'd just had it's years of unquestioning loyalty rewarded with a vicious beating. This world he'd apparently awoke in may have been nonsensical, but this kid was clearly hurt, and so the pang of guilt Roxas felt was real.

"Roxas, this is Sora," Leon said gently, defusing any potential situation. "He was a good friend of yours. Sora, Roxas encountered a problem after his capture by SOLDIER, and so his memories are a little scattered. I need someone with your patience and optimism to show him around and look after him whilst we try and realign things."

"Uh, sure?" The uncertainty that now lingered in Sora's voice was still tinged with the sadness of apparently being forgotten. "I'm sorry for hugging you, I guess. I... I hope I didn't startle you."

"It's okay," Roxas tried to offer Sora a comforting smile, placing a hand on the boys shoulder. "You didn't startle me.'

Roxas' attention was momentarily pulled in another direction when he heard a groan of distress. Turning his head he saw Axel pinching the bridge of his nose, as he glared angrily at Sora and Roxas.

Sensing the building tension, Leon stepped in. "Sora, Roxas will be staying in your quarters for a while, Axel, you'll be sharing with Yuffie and Cid."

"This is bullshit, Leon!" Axel suddenly shouted.

"I honestly don't have time for one of your temper tantrums right now, Axel, and with Roxas the way he is you two heading back to your usual room is not an option."

"Don't push me!" Axel snarled. "I still haven't forgiven you for your earlier stunt. Is that why you're so intent on sheltering Roxas yourself? Feeling guilty?"

"I have no reason to feel guilty."

"Oh, really? Because I think you know as well as I do that perhaps if you'd let me go earlier Roxas wouldn't be like this."

"Hey, kid," Cid interjected. "Leon was just doin' what he thought was right. Roxas is alive, aint he? Jus' bunk with me 'n' Yuffie for a while till things calm down. Can't ya see that Roxas ain't up to much? Look at him, he ain't much more than a glorified zombie - no offense, Blondie."

"Whatever. You guys will just do whatever the fuck Squall commands anyway, because Mr Restoration Committee has the dun shining out of his ass. It's not like anyone gives a damn about how I feel."

Unable to hold his tongue, Roxas spat "why should they?"

Axel's face screwed up, and he threw up his hands in defeat. "Whatever, I'm done. I'm fucking done. I risk my life for someone I love, and I get treated like some sort of villain."

Departing the room with little more than a backwards glance, Axel stormed out of Merlin's house, practically bristling. Merlin, Cid, Leon and Sora watched him go with concerned faces, but Roxas looked blankly on, feeling nothing.

"Cid, go check on him, please. Make sure he doesn't burn the place down to the ground in a rage, or something," Leon said tiredly, "and Sora? Please finish showing Roxas around, I'm exhausted and I still have a lot of issues to attend to. I'll let the others know about the situation."

"Sure, Leon," Sora responded, eyes still fixed firmly on the door that Axel had breezed out of. With one last, lingering look of sympathy and concern, Sora drew his eyes away from the now-empty space and offered Roxas a warm smile. "Come on, let's get started, Rox."

oOOo

Axel dropped the small bag of his belongings onto the floor of the room Yuffie and Cid shared, sighing miserably when he caught sight of the unappealing bed that had been made up for him. He honestly felt as though he was about to die on his feet; he was exhausted in every sense, and he was quite frankly disgusting. His shirt was sweat-soaked, and splattered with the blood of the scientist who had done _whatever_ he had done to Roxas. Roxas' apparent memory loss and new found abhorrence for him was the icing on top of the shitty cake, and Axel wanted nothing more than to curl up in his bed and weep - with a Roxas who actually acknowledged him for comfort.

Cid and Yuffie's room seemed so plain and unappealing in comparison to his and Roxas' room, and the spare bed they had tucked in the corner did not call to Axel at all. Cid's side of the room had walls decorated with blue-prints of ships and Gummi's, and various other things the mechanic had planned, whilst Yuffie's looked like the bedroom of a prepubescent girl. Photo's were pinned all over her stretch of wall, including one group photo which contained herself, Cid, Cloud and Tifa, just to name a few. A man who Axel recognised as Vincent Valentine - not a member of the Committee, but someone who stopped by from time to time - was in the outer corner of the photo, but in the centre, between Tifa and Cloud, two kids beamed. Axel guessed them to be Denzel and Marlene, Cloud's kids, and he wondered idly how Cloud could bear to be apart from them. He'd left SOLDIER both because he despised their work, and because he wanted to rejoin his friends who'd bravely elected to become renegades. Surely abandoning his children - even if he wasn't biologically their father - should have been near impossible? Hell, Roxas was just one building over, and Axel wanted to tear his hair out.

When Cid silently offered a cigarette to Axel, the red-head took it with little argument, though his features were still stony and contorted. Tobacco was a luxury in Hollow Bastion, and it was rare for Cid of all people to share his stash. Axel, like the other smokers of Hollow Bastion, such as Cid and Riku, had been forced to quit the habit cold turkey, or at least cut down substantially. Provisions were only available when they were pilfered on raids - something that was generally avoided by most. Risking your life for medical supplies or food was understandable. But for cigarettes or tobacco? It was generally deemed not worth it. So, Cid sharing his with Axel was something extremely rare, though the motives were not lost on the red-head. His agitation and upset was palpable, and not even the hard-faced Cid could cope with seeing Axel like this - let alone live with him.

With a forced smile Axel lit up, savouring a drag and rocking back on his heels. He mumbled a thanks at Cid, who returned the gesture with a slight nod of his head. Yuffie watched the exchange as she perched on the edge of her bed, expression uncharacteristically glum. But, hen no-one made to say anything to him directly, Axel growled.

"This is such fucking bullshit," Axel hissed, blowing out a smoke ring. 'I shouldn't be here! I should be with Roxas."

"Ain't nothin' your whinging's gonna do to make that happen, kid," Cid said simply. "Leon knows what 'e's doin". Just trust 'I'm."

"Easy for you to say," Axel ran a hand over his face. "I risked my life going back for him, and he doesn't even know my name."

"I know it's tough," Yuffie cut in, "but you need to rest. You've been through so much in the last forty-eight hours. You're exhausted."

"She's right, ya know," Cid agreed. "It's not often I agree with something Yuffie says, but she ain't wrong this time."

"I appreciate your concern," Axel said tightly. "But I honestly don't think I'll be able to rest whilst I know this is going on."

"Well tough, 'cause you're going to have too, mister," Yuffie beamed. "Me and Grumpy Guts here will look after you, don't you worry."

"You know, Yuffie, strangely enough that creates more concern than comfort."

"Gee, thanks."

"Yer welcome, kid," Cid said. "And don't tell Riku I gave ya some of my stash, or that little silver haired brat will be all ov'r me like some kinda rash. This is a one off act of kindness, don't expect it to happen often."

"Believe me, Highwind, I wouldn't dream of it. You and random acts of good-will don't exactly come hand in hand. Though, I am grateful. I can't remember the last time I've had a smoke, and after such a cataclysmically shitty series of events, a little nicotine makes the trip to hell and back a little bit more tolerable."

"Anythin' I can do to ease the pain, kiddo."

"Then tell me; what do you do when the person you're completely and irrevocably enamoured with refuses to even acknowledge your existence?"

"You just keep tryin'."

oOOo

"Tifa, pour me another," Cloud slid the empty whiskey glass towards the raven haired woman, rubbing tiredly at his eyes with his other hand.

With a sigh, Tifa took the glass, filling it once again with a single measure, before handing it back to the blonde. "I think this should be your last, Cloud."

"Maybe."

Tifa, as Leon had smugly predicted, had given Cloud a tongue lashing upon his return, scathingly sharing her opinion of Cloud's disappearance. He knew that deep down she had no real qualms about going to rescue Roxas, but the fact that Cloud had put himself in danger had worried her. He knew as well as her that Cloud no longer valued his own life as much as he should, and so any sort of slip up or misjudgement may prove fatal. As a result, after verbally attacking Cloud, Tifa had taken the man to Seventh Heaven - a make shift bar in the heart of Hollow Bastion - and tended to his wounds before fixing him a drink.

There was a clatter, then the door opened and Leon strode in, evidently exhausted. His hair was ruffled, as though he'd been continuously running a hand through it, and his eyes were shadowed with dark circles.

"Want a whiskey?" Tifa asked, already reaching for the glass.

"Please." Turning to face Cloud, Leon added, "Axel killed someone today, huh?"

"Yeah, a scientist. Vexen. He's one of the head researchers in the Organization XIII sect."

"Shit. Did he recognise you?"

"Yeah, said something about Sephiroth's bounty on my head, but Axel slit his throat before he could say much else."

Tifa, who had been listening to the conversation silently, handed Leon his drink, before settling down beside the two men, propping herself up with her elbow. "What would SOLDIER want with Roxas? That's what I don't get."

"He's one of us," Cloud said, shrugging. "They destroy those who stand in their path."

"Except, the didn't, did they? Roxas is still alive. They did something to him, but they didn't kill him. It doesn't make sense."

"Nothing SOLDIER do makes sense. Just bloodthirsty animals with an insatiable need for power. Whatever they've done to Roxas was undoubtedly linked to that stupid crusade."

"But the only person who may know what happened conveniently has memory-loss," Leon grumbled.

"Which is why I'm going back."

"What?" Tifa cried.

"You're not going back, Cloud," Leon said firmly.

"Yes, I am," Cloud replied, voice steady. "I know SOLDIER facilities, and now I know that Organization XIII are the ones handling Roxas. I could try and get some more information."

"That's suicide,"

"Maybe, but it's a lot better than just sitting around whilst Roxas continues to be the victim of whatever the hell SOLDIER has done to him."

"He's not Zack," Leon's words had an almost cruel tone, and they silenced Cloud immediately. "Saving Roxas won't fix things. Zack will still be dead, and you'll still be ex-SOLDIER. You're chasing ghosts if you think this is going to fix things. You can't save Zack by saving Roxas."

"Shut your damn mouth, Leon. You don't know shit."

"We've all lost people."

"Yeah, we have. But have you cradled your best friend in your arms as he lay dying? All because the people we worked with, who we genuinely believed were helping humanity and not destroying it, turned their backs on you? Have you had one of the people you love most in the world bleed out slowly and painfully, till your skin and clothes are stained crimson, and they're just a lifeless, empty shell? Do you live every day knowing that you were part of the group that killed not only him, but millions of people across the worlds? No, I thought not. I know that helping Roxas won't bring Zack back, but it's about doing what's right - and not 'chasing ghosts'."

"But he's not even Roxas. He's so cold and cruel to Axel; our Roxas would never act like that. His adoration for Axel was bone-deep."

"Post traumatic stress is a strange thing," Cloud mumbled. "For two weeks after Zack died I didn't even know who I was, really. I was just a comatose shell. I only got through it with my friends help. If Tifa, Yuffie, Cid and Aerith hadn't of been there, I'd still be little more than a delusional mess. So cut the kid some slack, stop writing him off, and stop judging my motives."

Leon merely grunted in response, and downed his drink in one swift gulp.

oOOo

Hours had passed since Sora had been instructed to give Roxas a guided tour of the town, and true to his word the brunette had dutifully showed Roxas around, giving him a detailed explanation on the background of every inch of Hollow Bastion. Sora himself had proved to be a very sweet, good-natured boy, and aside from Aerith Roxas was sure he'd found the one person he trusted and liked completely in this strange new world. Aged nineteen, Sora was the same age that Roxas was told he was (even if Roxas was sure he knew otherwise) and his cheery disposition contrasted drastically with the bleak surroundings that he was presenting to Roxas.

"This is the Gummi bay," Sora declared proudly. Pointing to two bobbing figures working on what looked like a hybrid of a space-craft and a motorcycle, the brunette continued; "and those two are Chip and Dale. A.I's created using the best animatronics' known to man. Cid's creation. They were built to help the grizzly bastard make and repair the Gummi's...also Cid's creation."

"They, uh, look like chipmunks," Roxas said, scepticism evident.

"Well, duh. Who'd suspect a chipmunk of being an android capable of assembling a Gummi ship?"

"Makes sense, I guess." Which was a big lie. Nothing about any of this made sense. He was in a living nightmare; one which was horrifically surreal and nonsensical. He'd awoke in a strange facility, only to be drugged, kidnapped and the witness to a murder scarce moments later, and now he'd discovered that nearly 3 years of his life had seemingly vanished. Not only that, but he was apparently in the middle of some sort of war that had decimated the worlds and brought them crumbling to their knees. He was constantly being told he knew the people and places around him, when the reality was he was completely clueless. He wanted his friends more than anything - craved their company like a drug. - but they were apparently no-where to be found. In their place instead was a slim, slightly scary red-head who was claiming to be Roxas' _boyfriend_, of all things. Saying two animatronic chipmunks' making sense was least of Roxas' troubles.

He followed Sora without mirth, nodding or making noises of recognition when Sora pointed out various areas of Hollow Bastion. The Gummi hanger, Merlin's House, Ansem's laboratory - they all seemed to blur into one, indistinguishable shape to Roxas, and his head spun with the influx of information.

"Right here's the dining centre," Sora said, leading Roxas into a rather non-descript building. The insides were furnished simply; tiled walls with wooden chairs and tables scattered throughout the long building. There was a door which apparently led to a kitchen, and a few diners picked at their meals. When they caught sight of Roxas, however, an awkward hush descended upon the building and the blonde instantly felt several pairs of eyes focus on him.

"Don't mind them," Sora mumbled. "Leon, Cloud, and Aerith are on damage control and have spread the word. People were - and still are - worried about you. You mean a lot to all of us."

Leading Roxas towards a table that seated two men, one with smooth hair that resembled the colour of slate, and another with a brown undercut, Sora hazarded an awkward smile. "Roxas, this is Zexion and Demyx. Zexion is our computer whizz, and maintains the Tron system as well as all the security monitors. Demyx here is our local water and all round errand boy. Both of these guys are generally night shifters, so you'll see them emerging from their den to scavenge their 'breakfast' around this time. Unless it's their day off, of course."

"It's good to see that you're safe, Roxas," Zexion said quietly. "Though don't listen to Sora. In your evidently vulnerable state he'd made my job seem incredibly boring. Which, I assure you, it's not."

"Face it, Zex, it kinda is. Security is rarely breached, and Tron pretty much runs himself. You just sit around coding things," with a warm smile, Demyx added "but like he said, I'm glad you're safe. When I saw Axel all bloodied and bruised, without you and collapsing to his knees I feared the worst."

"Hmmm," Roxas hummed. He really didn't like any conversation that redirected to Axel. "Thank you both, I guess."

"Well I'll leave you guys too it," Sora said, scratching the back of his head. "I'm sure Roxas has an exhausting day, and we really should be heading to bed. Good luck with the night shift."

"We'll need it," Zexion replied smoothly. "See you around, Roxas."

"Yeah, see ya, I guess."

Departing just as quickly and easily as they arrived, Roxas realised that Sora was right. He was barely conscious, and dragged his feet as though gravity had intensified. After a day of being pumped full of drugs, then being forced to endure trauma after trauma, Roxas wasn't sure he could take much more. Still, the comings and goings of the people around him still mildly caught his interest, enough to keep him awake enough to keep walking, at least.

"Where did all these people come from?" Roxas asked, knotting his hands in his shirt.

"Everyone's from everywhere, here," Sora said. "Balamb, Destiny Islands, Midgar, Wutai, Traverse Town, Twilight Town. Anywhere the war affected, really. Though we class ourselves as citizens of Hollow Bastion now. Gets too complicated to think of someplace else as home, when the reality is that someplace else probably doesn't exist anymore."

"Do you know where my friends are? Hayner, Pence and Olette, that is."

"I think maybe you should talk to Axel about that, Rox. It's really not my place to say."

"I really don't want to talk to Axel," Roxas said through gritted teeth.

"He loves you so much, you know."

"Well I don't love him."

"Don't say that," Sora said, voice low and sad. "You loved him too and it's killing him that you don't seem to remember or care."

Not wanting to offend Sora or initiate and argument, Roxas simply shrugged. He allowed Sora to lead him into a building he was told was a wing of dorms and rooms, and stewed in his silence for as long as he could. When Sora paused in front of one door, took a deep breath and introduced it as his room, Roxas honestly had no idea what to expect.

The room was simple; walls covered with salvaged photo's of their youth, blankets and spare sheets folded neatly beside beds, whilst working boots lined up against one wall. There were no real luxuries, and the room was so different from Roxas' room back home -when and whenever home was now - that he visibly winced. It was void of any real personality, and it honestly looked like the room of a prison inmate - not a teenage boys.

A boy and a girl sat on one of the beds, a deck of cards spread out oddly in some sort of game, when Roxas and Sora entered they exchanged wary glances, before two pairs of blue eyes settled uncomfortably on Roxas.

"This is Kairi and Riku, Leon filled them in on the situation." Sora said as an introduction. "We all grew up on Destiny Islands together."

"My Mom and Dad vacationed there for their honeymoon," Roxas choked out. He honestly didn't know what else to say, but he needed to say something. They were staring at him, and though there was nothing malicious in the look, it made Roxas want to shrink back into himself and weep. To them he was not the person they associated with Roxas, and to Roxas they were all strangers. It was just a big mess, and the silence only made it worse.

"We know," Riku replied. "You've told us before."

"Hey, Riku," Sora said, voice full of warning. "Remember the situation."

"You're right. Sorry," How are you feeling? Heard Axel and Cloud got scratched pretty deep."

"I...I'm okay. I wasn't hurt," Roxas stuttered. At least, to the best of his knowledge he wasn't hurt. The only real affliction he had, other than the amnesia of course, seemed to be the odd throbbing in his chest and hands. But something made him want to keep that secret.

"Good. Aerith brought some of your clothes from your room. Said it might upset you to go get 'em yourself, considering that you shared it with Axel. She put it on your bed for you."

An awkward silence descended upon the room, and Roxas kept giving Sora pleading, nervous looks. He felt like a caged animal, and honestly needed someone on his side, at least to comfort him. Sora offered that tiny fragment of familiarity, but with Kairi and Riku there even that was lost in a vortex of loneliness and unease.

"Say, Riku, I'm going to go get a snack, why don't you come with me?" Kairi announced, offering Roxas a half smile as an afterthought.

"But I'm not hungry," Riku replied, eyebrows knitting together in confusion.

"Yes you _are_," Kairi said, tugging the silver haired boy to his feet. When he seemed to twig what was going on, his lips parted in a silent 'o'.

"Yeah, right, food. We'll be going. See you later, guys."

Kairi practically dragged Riku out, despite the fact that Riku towered over her. When the door shut Sora and Roxas could still hear the high, reprimanding tones of Kairi, followed by the occasional grunt or murmur from Riku.

"Subtlety is not their strong point," Sora sighed. "Still, at least it means we're alone. Less overwhelming for you."

"Yeah," Roxas threw himself down on his bed, dragging a hand over his face.

"You really don't remember_ him,_ do you?" Sora asked quietly, setting himself down beside the blonde.

He was talking about Axel, of course, but the subject didn't matter. The fact was Roxas couldn't recall anything besides his like with his friends in Twilight Town, which, according to Ansem, ended over two years ago. Looking down at his hands sadly, Roxas shook his head. "I don't even know if any of this is even real. I just wish...I had some memories. Of anything about this place."

"You know, Axel really was a big deal to you," Sora began, leaning back. "He'd do anything for you, and he's always been like that. I think he'd gladly set himself and the world on fire, if that's what you wanted. Funny thing is, in a much more subtle way, you were exactly the same. So many times he's been out on raids, and he's taken a couple of days longer to return than anticipated, and the entire time he's gone it's like you want to tear the world to pieces just to look for him."

"I- really?"

"Mhm," Sora hummed. "You two were pretty much inseparable, and from what I can gather have been that way since you were kids."

Kids? Roxas had no recollection of Axel ever being a part of his childhood, but he let it pass. He had even more important matters to address. "He murdered someone in front of my eyes, and he didn't even think twice about it. I can't love something like that."

"I hate to break it to you," Sora said solemnly "but none of us are innocent. We've all shed blood and taken lives. It's a war, after all. I've killed people, Riku's killed people, Axel's killed people, and you've killed people."

Roxas' skin paled and took on a sickly green hue. "I've killed people?"

Sora shrugged. "It's a war. We've had to kill SOLDIER's to stay alive and protect the people we love. It is how it is. If it makes you feel better, Axel sheltered you from most of it. You've killed when you absolutely had to, but your blood count is much lower than most of us here. Axel didn't want the potential guilt to destroy or harden you, so he'd do a lot of it for you. At the beginning it used to really eat him up. I remember the first time he ever killed anyone; you two had been at Hollow Bastion maybe a week, and me and Riku were assigned with looking after you. We'd taken a Gummi out to the clock tower ruins to check the damage. Some SOLDIER's rolled up, and even though Leon had equipped us with weapons, you two were still so new to everything. I don't blame either of you, really. Twilight Town was one of the last cities to fall into chaos. Destiny Islands had gone to shit a long time before, but you two...you two were still safe up until then. Sheltered. Anyway, one of them had you cornered, and Axel just picked up his chakrams and gave it everything he had to protect you. Adrenaline, and all that. He said nothing when he realised the guy was dead, but later that night when it was lights out in the dorms you could hear him crying for hours. This was back before we expanded the town, so we all shared one big room. I'll never forget that sound. It was almost like you could _hear_ his self loathing.

"It gets easier, after a while. It shouldn't do, but it does. He'd come home covered in blood after a raid, white as hell and glassy eyed, but he never cried. Not once. Not until you killed your first person."

"Me?" Roxas asked. His voice was dry and it sounded disconnected to the rest of him. It was honestly hard to comprehend the fact that he had killed someone, especially because he had no recollection of the events that led to it - let alone the event itself. He hoped desperately that this was some elaborate, sick prank, yet he knew that the likelihood of this being the case was slim-to-none.

"Yeah. One day you'd gone out on a raid together. Zexion had been trying to fix the computer system but was missing some parts, so you two went to the city to try and get some. It was dangerous, but raids always are. Stealing essentials from cities dominated and over-run with people trying to kill you is never easy. Anyway, you ran into a First Class, apparently. You killed him, all by yourself. That night Axel cried harder than he did the first time he killed."

"How?" Roxas asked hoarsely.

"Excuse me?"

"How did I kill him?"

"Bludgeoned him to death with a bat."

Roxas felt it rise in his throat, and before he could even stop it, he vomited violently.

This was most definitely not his day, and Roxas was crippled with the sinking feeling that things would only get worse from here.


End file.
